Juniper
It doesn't really fit in this thread, but does anyone here make their own candles? I was looking for tips and what not
Thanks!!
Thanks!!
candle making
tarotbear
I have not made candles in 30 years but I bet my stuff is still up in the attic somewhere! They were candles in metal moulds - star shaped, hexagon columns - lots of figure candles, but never made any tapers - it's to easy to go out to the Dollar store and buy cheap ones or a good card shop and buy beautiful ones. 30 years ago a store known as 'American Handicrafts' used to sell candle wax in 10-pound blocks and all the supplies such as wicks, colors, scent oils, and whatnots. That fad died out a long time ago but a large craft store like Michael's or Moore's may be able to help you.
Basically it's prepare the molds with some release spray or silicone spray, put the wick in place, seal the spot where the wick comes through the mold. Melt wax in a double boiler (never boil or burn wax- bad for your health!), add color or scents as desired. Pour hot wax into molds, repour to fill bottoms once wax sets. Allow wax to harden at least overnight, remove candle from mold. And be sure to cover every inch of table with old newspapers and have a bucket of cold water handy in case the mold springs a leak!
Tapers are made from tying lengths of wick to a dowel, and dipping the wicks repeatedly into wax. It is a long boring process as anyone who has worked on a 'Thanksgiving re-enactment' can tell you!
PS - the boxes of paraffin wax they sell in supermarkets should not be used for making candles: the paraffin melts at such a low temperature that the candles burn themselves away in no time flat!
There was some controversy a few years back about the lead in burning candle wicks being bad for you, (how many years have we been burning candles and now they tell us this?) so I don't even know if you can find wicking with a lead core anymore.
Basically it's prepare the molds with some release spray or silicone spray, put the wick in place, seal the spot where the wick comes through the mold. Melt wax in a double boiler (never boil or burn wax- bad for your health!), add color or scents as desired. Pour hot wax into molds, repour to fill bottoms once wax sets. Allow wax to harden at least overnight, remove candle from mold. And be sure to cover every inch of table with old newspapers and have a bucket of cold water handy in case the mold springs a leak!
Tapers are made from tying lengths of wick to a dowel, and dipping the wicks repeatedly into wax. It is a long boring process as anyone who has worked on a 'Thanksgiving re-enactment' can tell you!
PS - the boxes of paraffin wax they sell in supermarkets should not be used for making candles: the paraffin melts at such a low temperature that the candles burn themselves away in no time flat!
There was some controversy a few years back about the lead in burning candle wicks being bad for you, (how many years have we been burning candles and now they tell us this?) so I don't even know if you can find wicking with a lead core anymore.
Juniper
thanks for the info! I was looking at a website of craft ideas and they suggested taking thin sheets of beeswax and cutting out shapes with a cookie cutter, then using a blow dryer to melt them together with a wick between the two in the middle, to make all kinds of shapes, and I thought that was neat. So I was just seeing if anyone else had little things to share on candle making.
How fire safe is it to put glitter and stuff on the outside of the candle, it suggested that but I wasn't sure it wouldn't catch on fire???
How fire safe is it to put glitter and stuff on the outside of the candle, it suggested that but I wasn't sure it wouldn't catch on fire???
tarotbear
I have seen taking a sheet of colored beeswax and a piece of wicking and rolling it up like making a jellyroll - to make taper candles.
IMHO - two sheets of beewax with a wick inbetween would burn quickly since there is not much melting wax (which is what feeds the flame) to pool and it would burn through quickly. Sounds like a great idea for a craft for small children - but would you want small children playing with candles?
Yes - using 4-6 sheets of wax thickness would probably made a nice candle- but light pressure should fuse the layers together, too. And metal cookie cutters come in lots of neat shapes.
A lot of commercial candles have glitter on them - but I'd say use it sparingly.
There's also the old 'candle-in-a-milk-carton' trick: Use a ready made taper candle and get some ice cubes cracked into large pieces. Fill the quart-size milk carton with pieces of ice, stick the ready-made taper in the middle, then pour hot wax to fill the carton! The ice cools the wax quickly, and the hot wax melts the ice. Peel off the carton over a sink, letting the melted ice water pour off. You will get cool candles that look like swiss cheese! Kids love 'em! And they don't take a lot of wax - and are easy to do. I have heard them called 'lace' candles.
IMHO - two sheets of beewax with a wick inbetween would burn quickly since there is not much melting wax (which is what feeds the flame) to pool and it would burn through quickly. Sounds like a great idea for a craft for small children - but would you want small children playing with candles?
Yes - using 4-6 sheets of wax thickness would probably made a nice candle- but light pressure should fuse the layers together, too. And metal cookie cutters come in lots of neat shapes.
A lot of commercial candles have glitter on them - but I'd say use it sparingly.
There's also the old 'candle-in-a-milk-carton' trick: Use a ready made taper candle and get some ice cubes cracked into large pieces. Fill the quart-size milk carton with pieces of ice, stick the ready-made taper in the middle, then pour hot wax to fill the carton! The ice cools the wax quickly, and the hot wax melts the ice. Peel off the carton over a sink, letting the melted ice water pour off. You will get cool candles that look like swiss cheese! Kids love 'em! And they don't take a lot of wax - and are easy to do. I have heard them called 'lace' candles.
Juniper
tarotbear said:
YES. the world needs more small children playing with candles!!! And of couse they will need a pack of matches to light them! JK
a_shikhs
Hi,
Even i make candles.. I prefer making my own instead of buying them.. Its fun making candles and trying various designs on them.. You get those candle moulds. Just heat up the wax, pour it in the moulds, put a candle wick and voila.. Your candle is ready to burn.. It takes a few hours for the wax to set in the mould. You can even decorate the candle with beads, herbs, etc.. Let your imagination run wild..
Even i make candles.. I prefer making my own instead of buying them.. Its fun making candles and trying various designs on them.. You get those candle moulds. Just heat up the wax, pour it in the moulds, put a candle wick and voila.. Your candle is ready to burn..
It takes a few hours for the wax to set in the mould. You can even decorate the candle with beads, herbs, etc.. Let your imagination run wild.. Cielo
Sorry for my appalling ingorance, but since this sounds like a wonderful cool thing I'd really like to try out, I'll ask anyway........
How exactly do you melt the wax??????? Specifically?
lol, I liked your suggestion Tarotbear, with the milk carton and the ice cubes! Hmm...is wicks something that is easy to come by normally? Hmm.....now I am all excited and don't know where to go!!!
How exactly do you melt the wax??????? Specifically?
lol, I liked your suggestion Tarotbear, with the milk carton and the ice cubes! Hmm...is wicks something that is easy to come by normally? Hmm.....now I am all excited and don't know where to go!!!
Sheri
My husband and I frequently get gifts (Christmas especially) of candles that are in jars. We like them because we carefully pour out the wax as it liquifies and save it to reuse. We have remelted wax in metal or glass containers in pans of water. I bought a couple of molds and wicks for pillars and tapers at a local craft store. We haven't had to actually buy a candle going on a couple of years. The only problem is that we aren't able to pick the colors and the candles tend to burn faster when made with remelted wax.
Have fun!
Have fun!
Juniper
the wax I bought had melting instuctions, basically like someone else said use a double boiler and I just put it on low, it melted very easy. color is easy, it comes in super consentrated wax blocks, just chip off a little and add it and then a few drops of candle scent if you want, they say on them how many drops per pounds of wax.
I got a little floating candle kit for like $6 at a local craft and frabric store, but michaels and things like that should have the supplies, wicks are not hard to find, along with different types of wax (melt and pour, beeswax, gel candle stuff) colors, molds, and secents.
I got a little floating candle kit for like $6 at a local craft and frabric store, but michaels and things like that should have the supplies, wicks are not hard to find, along with different types of wax (melt and pour, beeswax, gel candle stuff) colors, molds, and secents.
Cielo
emmmm..........what's a double boiler??? 
